If a series reaches Game 7, that's a sign it has been hotly contested the entire way. Typically it gets fans anticipating a thrilling showdown between those two to determine who ultimately wins the series.
Games 7s don't always live up to the hype, though. Every now and again, a team will simply put together a dominant effort to send their equally-matched opponent packing in unceremonious fashion.
Blowouts in Game 7s are still rare. There have been 149 Game 7s in NBA history, according to Stathead. Only 58 have been decided by more than 10 points. That still leaves some matchups that have resulted in some serious keister kickings.
Which have been the biggest blowouts in NBA Game 7 history? Here's what you need to know.
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Biggest Game 7 blowouts in NBA Playoffs history
There have been a handful of Games 7s that have been truly one-sided, with seven featuring the winning team advancing with a win of more than 30 points.
Here's a look at the 11 biggest blowouts in NBA Game 7 history, per Stathead:
Team | Opponent | Date | Score | Margin |
Mavericks | Rockets | May 7, 2005 | 116-76 | 40 |
Warriors | Bombers | Apr. 6, 1948 | 85-46 | 39 |
Lakers | Suns | Apr. 9, 1970 | 129-94 | 35 |
Celtics | Hawks | May 4, 2008 | 99-65 | 34 |
Mavericks | Suns | May 15, 2022 | 123-90 | 33 |
Heat | Hornets | May 1, 2016 | 106-73 | 33 |
Suns | Lakers | May 6, 2006 | 121-90 | 31 |
Bulls | Knicks | May 17, 1992 | 110-81 | 29 |
Celtics | Bucks | May 15, 2022 | 109-81 | 28 |
Raptors | Heat | May 15, 2016 | 116-89 | 27 |
Pacers | Celtics | May 7, 2005 | 97-70 | 27 |
Indiana's 130-109 win over New York in the 2024 Eastern Conference Semifinals is tied for the 16th biggest blowout in Game 7 history.
Mavericks 116, Rockets 76
The Texas teams had battled in a narrow series in which only one game, Game 6, had been decided by more than 12 points. Games 2-5 were all determined by two to four points in each matchup.
But the Mavericks blasted the Rockets, led by a 31-point effort from Jason Terry and double-digit scoring efforts from four Dallas starters. On the other side, only Yao Ming (33) and Tracy McGrady (27) exceeded seven points for Houston.
The contest remains the only one to date in which a Game 7 was decided by at least 40 points.
Warriors 85, Bombers 46
This clash dates back to the BAA semifinals when the Philadelphia Warriors met the St. Louis Bombers. There had been two other dominant wins in the series, each by the Warriors coming in Game 3 (86-54) and Game 6 (84-61), but otherwise all other matchups were determined by single-digit scoring.
Then Game 7 happened.
John Logan had 18 for the Bombers and Belus Smawley scored 12, but no other St. Louis player exceeded four points. On the other side, every player scored at least four, while Joe Fulks (15), Chick Halbert (14), Howie Dallmar (12), Chink Crossin (11) and George Senesky (10) each reached double digits.
Lakers 129, Suns 94
This was a series in which every game was one-sided, but each team took turns. The Lakers won by 16 in Game 1, then the Suns won by at least 10 in each of the next three contests. The Lakers then beat the Suns by 17 in Game 5 and 11 in Game 6.
Los Angeles finished the 3-1 comeback in emphatic fashion. Wilt Chamberlain had a whopping 30 points and 27 rebounds and Elgin Baylor had 25 points and 14 rebounds to power the Lakers to a 35-point win. On the other side, Connie Hawkins scored 25 for the Suns with 15 rebounds.